LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell breezed past Amy McGrath and claimed a seventh term in office.
First elected to the Senate in 1984, McConnell cruised past McGrath in a race that 12 months ago figured to be an interesting one, but the Democratic challenger and former Marine never mounted a serious threat. McGrath accumulated an impressive war chest, but the McConnell machine proved too difficult to overcome.
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“Kentucky, I’m humbled and grateful that you’ve rehired me,” McConnell said during his acceptance speech. “The people of Kentucky had a clear choice and they sent a clear message. Tonight, Kentuckians said challenging times need proven leadership.”
McConnell is the chief ally of President Donald Trump in Congress and the longest-serving Republican Senate leader in history.
McConnell touted his leadership post as a political asset for Kentucky. As Trump’s top ally on Capitol Hill, McConnell led efforts to defend the Republican president during his impeachment acquittal in the Senate. He also worked with Trump on a tax overhaul and orchestrated Senate confirmation of more than 200 judicial appointments by the president, including Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
It was McGrath’s second loss since 2018, when she was defeated in a congressional race. She tweeted out a two-minute video thanking her supporters, saying the contest was never about her or her opponent, but about Kentuckians.
“Although we didn’t get the result we wanted, the energy and optimism I saw in every corner of the state gives me so much hope for the future of our great Commonwealth,” she said.
Watch the video below:
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